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Backlash (2008)
Backlash (2008) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It took place on April 27, 2008, at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. Following WrestleMania, all pay-per-views became tri-branded. It was the tenth annual event under the Backlash name and starred wrestler talents from Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands. Eight professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the event's card, which featured a supercard, a scheduling of more than one main event. The first was a Fatal 4-Way elimination for the WWE Championship match featuring wrestlers from the Raw brand, in which all four men fought in the ring at the same time, with competitors being eliminated by pinfall or submission. Triple H defeated WWE Champion Randy Orton, John Cena, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield to win the championship. The other main event featured wrestlers from the SmackDown brand, in which defending World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker defeated challenger Edge in a standard wrestling match, also known as a singles match. The main event from the ECW brand was a standard match in which defending ECW Champion Kane defeated challenger Chavo Guerrero. In addition, a featured bout was scheduled on the undercard, in which Shawn Michaels defeated Batista in a standard match. Backlash (2008) had an attendance of approximately 11,277 and received 200,000 buys, more than the previous year's event.Other on-screen personnel When the event was released on DVD, it reached a peak position of second on Billboard Recreational Sports DVD Sales Chart. Storylines This event featured seven professional wrestling matches with outcomes predetermined by WWE script writers. The matches featured wrestlers portraying their characters in planned storylines that took place before, during and after the event. All wrestlers were from one of the WWE's brands – SmackDown, Raw, or ECW – the three storyline divisions in which WWE assigned its employees. Wrestlers from Raw were featured in the main event at Backlash: a fatal 4-way elimination match, in which four men wrestled each other and can be eliminated only by pinfall or submission. The match was contested for the WWE Championship, featuring the champion, Randy Orton, defending against Triple H, John Cena, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). The buildup to the match began at WrestleMania XXIV, where Randy Orton defended his title against Triple H and John Cena in a Triple Threat match, in which the three men competed against each other, and the first man to score a pinfall or submission would win. Orton won the match, retaining the title after pinning Cena. On the following night's episode of Raw, with the WWE Championship shining on his shoulder, Randy Orton crowed about defeating both Triple H and John Cena at WrestleMania, declaring his reign as champion the "Age of Orton". But John "Bradshaw" Layfield had other ideas, telling Orton that he deserved a title match as a reward for proving that he was the toughest Superstar on Raw in his Belfast Brawl victory over Finlay also at WrestleMania. On the following week's episode of Raw, WWE Champion Randy Orton began the night believing he would go one-on-one with JBL at Backlash, but the tide quickly turned on him. Due to Triple H's complaint about himself being kicked in the head by Orton when he was about to pin Cena to win the WWE title at Wrestlemania, Raw General Manager William Regal placed Triple H into a Handicap match against Orton & JBL, and when Triple H won, Regal made the Triple Threat match for the title. Not to be outdone, John Cena also pleaded his case to Regal, who gave him the same Handicap Match ultimatum. After Orton's intended interference failed, Cena pulled out the win, thus, the championship match at Backlash became a Fatal Four Way starring three former WWE Champions challenging Orton. On the following week's episode of Raw, after his victory over William Regal, Orton felt compelled to meddle in the bout between Triple H and JBL. In an attempt at eliminating Triple H from Backlash, Orton ran in and nearly took off Triple H's head. He administered an RKO before then teaming with JBL against him. As Orton was set to punt Triple H's noggin again, however, JBL turned on him and laid him out with a vicious Clothesline From Hell. The main feud heading into Backlash on the SmackDown brand was between The Undertaker and Edge, over the World Heavyweight Championship. In February, at No Way Out, Undertaker won an Elimination Chamber match to become the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXIV. At WrestleMania, Undertaker defeated Edge to win the World Heavyweight Championship and extend his WrestleMania undefeated streak to 16–0. On the April 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown, SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero booked a WrestleMania rematch between Undertaker and Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash. The secondary feud for SmackDown heading into Backlash was between Matt Hardy and MVP. On the November 16th, 2007 edition of SmackDown after failing to regain the Tag Team Championship from John Morrison and The Miz, MVP attacked Matt Hardy targeting and injuring his knee. The feud would start again at WrestleMania XXIV where Matt Hardy cost MVP the Money in the Bank Ladder Match by performing a Twist of Fate at the top of the ladder. Hardy would then face MVP on the April 4th, 2008 edition of SmackDown in a non-title match, which he won. It was confirmed on the next SmackDown that Matt Hardy would face MVP for the United States Championship at Backlash. The primary feud on the ECW brand was between Kane and Chavo Guerrero, with the two battling over the ECW Championship. Before WrestleMania XXIV aired live on pay-per-view, Kane won a 24-Man Battle Royal to earn an ECW Championship match against Chavo Guerrero later that night. Kane would go on to defeat Guerrero and become the new ECW Champion. On the April 4 episode of SmackDown!, SmackDown! General Manager Vickie Guerrero booked Kane to defend the ECW Championship against Chavo Guerrero at Backlash. The feud intensified on the April 8 episode of ECW, where during a contract signing for Backlash, Guerrero, with assistance from Bam Neeley, Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder, delivered a Frog splash on Kane through a table. Two weeks later on April 22, 2008, the feud again intensified during an episode of the Cutting Edge, in which Edge, Hawkins, Ryder, and Neeley ganged up against Kane. The gang-up allowed Guerrero to attack Kane with a steel chair. Another feud leading up to Backlash was between Shawn Michaels and Batista. Upset over the retirement of Ric Flair at the hands of Michaels at WrestleMania XXIV, Batista interrupted Michaels' address on the April 4 episode of SmackDown! and called him a "selfish" person for what he did at WrestleMania. Batista blamed Michaels for not lying down for Flair and thus protecting his career instead of retiring him. Michaels defended his actions by saying Flair had called upon him to bring his best to WrestleMania, which he did. The conflict continued on an episode of Chris Jericho's "Highlight Reel" interview segment that featured both men on the April 7 episode of Raw. Following another tense verbal standoff, Batista left the ring saying he had something in store for Michaels. Moments later, Raw General Manager William Regal said he had confirmed a match with SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero between Michaels and Batista at Backlash. In addition, the following week Jericho had a confrontation with Shawn Michaels who ended up kicking Jericho in the face. Frustrated, Jericho went to Regal in an effort to possibly add himself to the match. Regal did indeed add Jericho to the match, but not as a competitor. Instead he announced Jericho as a Special Guest Referee for the match. Aftermath The feud between Triple H and Randy Orton continued. On the April 28 episode of Raw, Orton challenged Triple H for the WWE Championship later on in the night. William Regal stopped the match midway through, however, and later booked the two in a Steel Cage match for the title at Judgment Day. On the May 2 episode of SmackDown, Vickie Guerrero cancelled a scheduled World Title match between Undertaker and The Great Khali and stripped The Undertaker of the World Heavyweight Championship, and Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder stole the physical belt and handed it to Guerrero. The next week on SmackDown, Guerrero booked a "Championship Chase" where the winner would face the Undertaker for the vacant World Championship at Judgment Day. Batista originally won, but his victory was cut short after Guerrero came out and announced that Edge had been medically cleared and would be able to compete. Thus, the match continued, and Edge defeated Batista, gaining the championship match at Judgment Day. The following night on Raw, Mickie James' team defeated Beth Phoenix's team in a 12-Diva rematch from Backlash. The following week, James retained the Women's Championship against Phoenix in a lumberjill match, with the win coming after the evil Melina attempted to strike James with her boot, but accidentally struck Phoenix. The alliance between Phoenix and Melina ended a week later, and the two Divas would face James at Judgment Day for the title. Results Other on-screen personnel See also * List of WWE pay-per-view events * Backlash Category:Backlash Category:World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view events Category:2008 Pay-Per-View Events